US President-elect Donald Trump has sharply criticized the use of long-range US missiles from Ukraine deep into Russian territory. In an interview with "Time" magazine, published today, Trump signaled that he is likely to change the US policy towards Ukraine, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
„What is happening is madness. It's crazy. I strongly disagree with sending missiles hundreds of kilometers into Russia. Why do we do this? We are only escalating the war and making it worse. This should not have been allowed,”, Trump said in the interview. The publication coincides with the day he was named Person of the Year by Time magazine.
When asked if he would abandon Ukraine, Trump emphasized that he does not plan to do so, but intends to use American aid to Kiev as leverage in negotiations with Russia.
„I want to reach an agreement,” he said, adding that “the only way an agreement can be reached is not to abandon [Ukraine]”.
During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly said that if elected, he would negotiate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours. After the election, he admitted that the task was more complicated than he had imagined.